Looking for a food that doesn't make their poo stink

[shamrockmommy]

This is a silly title of a thread, but I'm doing exactly this.

First started with Southern States all grain chick starter/grower. They liked it fine, ate it like champs. Poo was very very very stinky!

I have just gotten them on Countryside Organics, I'm lucky enough to meet their truck and save on the shipping. They love it, like crazy, but I have a problem with them leaving the powder. The BEST thing is their poop does NOT STINK! There is no manure stink in the roost box or in the tractors whatsoever.

Anyway, I just may have to be a meanie and make them finish up the powder before they get any more food. But I'm wondering if anyone has come across a feed that also minimizes the smell.

I've been looking at Buckeye feed as well. Ideally I really want something that uses animal protein vs. soy. My girls do get mealworms and whatever bugs wander into the tractor (we have big, juicy black ants!).


Does "organic" feed make the difference even if it uses plant protein products? Say Nature's Best or such? Stink, or no?


Thanks for entertaining this silly question with an answer!

 

[Phelyx Mwatu]

Hi,your question aint silly.am glad you even brought this one up.two of my hens are sitting on their eggs and whenever they get out of the chicken house for some air,they poo and the smell is just terrible.am trying on lacto-fermenting my grains to see if maybe the prob will be solved.may you should check on fermenting poultry feed.

 

[wlantry]

Fermenting feed really helps with this.

 

[enola]

To get them to eat the powder, just put enough water in it to form a mash. They will love it !

Better yet, like mentioned, ferment their feed. Fermenting makes almost all of the protein available for digestion and will cut your cost of feeding by about 30%.

 

[shamrockmommy]

Thanks for the ideas. I added warm water and they didn't want it that way either but I will keep trying. I'm not interested in ff right now. Plenty other stuff keeping me busy at the moment.

 

[redsix]

Try fermenting the feed. Their bodies will absorb more of the nutrients in the feed and the the poop will have less smell. Mix equal parts of feed and water. Cover it and stir it 2 or 3 times a day. It should be fermented by day 3 or 4. It will have sour smell when it is ready. It's sort of like sour dough bread starter. You can add new feed to a small amount of the fermented feed and it will ferment the whole batch practically overnight.

 

[copper2]

Try fermenting the feed.  Their bodies will absorb more of the nutrients in the feed and the the poop will have less smell.  Mix equal parts of feed and water.  Cover it and stir it 2 or 3 times a day.  It should be fermented by day 3 or 4.  It will have sour smell when it is ready. It's sort of like sour dough bread starter.  You can add new feed to a small amount of the fermented feed and it will ferment the whole batch practically overnight.

Am I able to do that with layer feed for my adult birds?

 

[enola]

I have used layer pellets, alfalfa pellets and scratch feed mixed together and fermented for 3 days. I fement chick starter for my babies from day one.

Fermenting feed does not cause it to form any type of alcohol, your chickens will not get drunk

 

[allpeepedout]

Like the suggested formula for fermented feed, feeding forage may help, such as soaked alfalfa pellets, alfalfa hay, chopped grass or clover, veggies, etc. In general, animals who forage have less stinky poo than heavy protein consumers. But basically,with clean and dry bedding, there should be little odor.

 

[centrarchid]

To control smell I like feces to dry quickly. The turd then needs to be firm and prone to crack as exposed to air. Have been having success by increasing coarse fiber content of diet but care must be taken to prevent not to overly dilute diet with respect to protein and other nutrients. A good ingredient has been BOSS where seed shells provide the desired bulk. Another option has been fermenting alfalfa hay cubes mixed with oat grain / corn to improve palatability. Resulting feces will be larger and more frequent but less smelly. This recommend only for chickens well beyond chick stage and not for high productivity breeds such as leghorns or cornish cross where birds already pushing limits of what their digestive tract can do.